For those of you who have been following this for a while now you might remember the lovely surprise yarn I received from Canada a while back – on Day 56. Well ever since I had been trying to decide on a project to use it for – it was such lovely yarn and such a sweet present that I really wanted to do it some justice. So I’d been thinking about ideas, and trawling around for patterns – I didn’t really want to waste is just on some swatches. I wanted something I could use and love at the end of it all. Then on Ravelry I came across a free pattern for some fingerless cable mittens called Vancouver Fog. This had to be a sign – the yarn had been posted from Vancouver!!! So that was me all decided and Day 76 was going to be the start.
The yarn was in skeins and so this involved unravelling again into balls. Does anybody know why some yarn is already in easy use balls and other yarn (generally nicer stuff) isn’t?! I definitely need to get better at this process as I took it to the pub to accomplish and as last time ended up with quite a tangled mess that took a whole football match to sort out! Good job it was a dull game.
After almost 2 hours I have a ball of yarn ready to use!
So most of the evening was involved in this and I only got to start the knitting itself towards the end of the night. As well as finding a nice project for the yarn, I also wanted to make sure I did it some justice. Meaning that I wanted to follow the pattern correctly – no bodging – and using all the correct recommended techniques. As my hand knitting is mainly all self taught I don’t necessarily do everything the “right” way. And actually there seem to be a lot of “right” ways anyway; apparently there are 30 methods for casting on! This might be something to practise on another day’s challenge maybe?!
The method recommended for casting on for the mittens was a circular tubular cast-on which I duly looked up on my phone and implemented. A little fiddly and different to any hand cast-on I have ever done before. But it has given a nice finished edge to that end so I was quite pleased. Even though it doesn’t look as though I have made much progress today!
The evenings progress – but a new method learnt!
yarnathon366 
You need a friend to hold their hands up, keeping the yarn in a nice neat ring whilst you wind away! It’s a bonding experience.
I managed to get my husband to do it for an evening at home once – but would never get him to agree to it in a pub!!!
awesome! put this on your christmas list! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lacis-Yarn-Ball-Winder/dp/B004BP84LW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_2/280-9691011-4729644 ^__^
That looks like just the thing Lou! Ta x
Call me what you will, but does it make me a little cheap that I simply drape the yarn over my knees and wind a center pull ball by tying the yarn to my arm?
I think I tried something along those lines and that’s what got me in the mess!
Winding yarn balls is so relaxing. 🙂 Well, yeah, except for when you’re winding a tangled skein, lol.
Hmmm…don’t quote me on this, but I think that they are in hanks or skeins because the yarn remains relaxed that way and keeps its integrity. When it’s wound into a ball, it’s normally wound taut so that it stays. It stretches the yarn if it stays that way for long periods….kind of takes some of the bounce or loft out of it.
That makes so much sense! i’m sure you must be right. Thanks for educating me x